• Spectacular scenery from Lake Victoria and the tropical lowlands and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to the Virunga Range

Overview

Uganda! The Pearl of Africa! On our tour, you can experience “the Best of Uganda” in just 14 days! The essential birds of Uganda are Shoebill (this is the easiest country to see this amazing species), the 20-plus Albertine Rift endemics (including African Green Broadbill), and finally other birds tough to locate elsewhere, such as Green-breasted Pitta.

This Uganda birding tour focuses on the Ugandan “must-see” birds although we’ll certainly see a lot of widespread spectacular species such as Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, amazing barbets and so many others. We also expect to see other star species such as Red-faced Barbet, along with incomparable Gorillas, encounters with troops of Chimpanzees, and a host of other primates.

We’ll also see spectacular scenery, including Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the Virunga Volcanoes and Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria. A truly marvelous and unforgettable wildlife adventure and birding extravaganza!

We also offer an optional five-day post-trip extension to Budongo Forest and Murchison Falls National Park if you would like to extend your Birding Tour Uganda experience.

Optional extension to Budongo Forest and Murchison Falls National Park

Day 14. Transfer to Masindi

Day 15. Birding the Royal Mile (Budongo Forest)

Day 16. Birding Murchison Falls National Park

Day 17. Birding Murchison Falls National Park

Day 18. Transfer to Entebbe

Day 19. Departure

Day 1. Arrival and birding Entebbe

Our Uganda birding tour starts with our arrival in Entebbe. Time permitting we can do some birding around the garden city of Entebbe, away from the hustle and bustle of Kampala. Entebbe is on the shores of Africa’s greatest lake, Lake Victoria, and we may have the chance to bird the grounds of our hotel, the beautiful botanical gardens, and other sites. The town has many specials including African Hobby, striking Black-headed Gonolek, Broad-billed Roller, a plethora of weavers, and a host of others. Overnight: Boma Guest House, Entebbe, or similar. You will already start getting a good sampling of Uganda’s massive bird diversity. Overnight: Boma Guest House, Entebbe

Day 2. Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo National Park

We embark on a morning boat trip on Mabamba Swamp, likely the world’s most famous site for Shoebill. We should also see a great variety of other birds on the lake, including Lesser Jacana, lapwings, several water-associated weavers, and Red-chested Sunbird (also usually near water). We might find specials such as Orange Weaver, the massive and weird Great Blue Turaco, the beautiful Ross’s Turaco, Eastern Plantain-eater, Double-toothed Barbet, and many others. In the afternoon we leave for Lake Mburo National Park. Birding and wildlife viewing here is a delightful experience and one of the highlights of a birding trip to Uganda. We look for birds such as the highly localized (a small part of Uganda and nearby Tanzania) Red-faced Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, African Finfoot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Tropical Boubou, Fork-tailed Drongo, and Golden-breasted Bunting. We could also encounter numerous mammals such as Eland, Zebra, Impala, Bohor Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Topi, Defassa Waterbuck, Common Duiker, Buffalo, Hippo, and many others. Overnight: Rwakobo Rock, Lake Mburo National Park, or similar.

Day 3. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

We head to the beautiful Mgahinga Gorilla National Park bordering on Rwanda. Here, we begin our birding of the fabled Albertine Rift, which is full of endemic birds. At Mgahinga we look specifically for birds often missed on standard Uganda birding tours. The aim of this specific tour is to maximize the number of Albertine Rift endemics seen, and Mgahinga offers the only opportunity for Ruwenzori Turaco, a must-see turaco since it is in its own genus, and extremely localized. We also search for the critically endangered Shelley’s Crimsonwing here – but sightings of this species are sadly becoming rarer. Overnight: Travellers’ Rest Hotel, Kisoro, or similar.

Day 4. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

A full day at Mgahinga, where the backdrop of the Virunga Volcanoes enhances the birding experience. Overnight: Travellers’ Rest Hotel, Kisoro, or similar.

After breakfast we start our Gorilla trekking (optional) or continue birding (for those who opt not to do the gorilla trek) in the fabled Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We recommend you wear sturdy walking boots and carry a good rain suit and enough drinking water in a backpack. Trekking can be tough and challenging, and therefore a reasonable level of fitness is required. You will carry a picnic lunch with you, and you will be thrilled to see these rare apes (no guarantee, although rarely missed). We can spend an hour right next to these gentle giants (again, no guarantee, but probable). Overnight: Engagi Lodge, Buhoma.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second-largest national park of Uganda, covering an area of 1978 sq. km. This park was named after the Queen of England and is located in the western part of Uganda. It was gazetted in 1952 and opened officially by the Queen herself in 1954. The park has the most incredible ecosystem, from its habitats to the animals found here. It also features an impressive bird list and is said to have more bird species per square kilometer than any other protected area on the African continent. Indeed a birder's paradise, with over 600 avian species. With close to 100 mammal species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a superb territory for game drives. The Ishasha Sector is famous for its tree-climbing lions, and the Kyambura Gorge offers chimpanzee trekking.

We’ll have a cup of tea or coffee and a muffin at 6:15 a.m. in the lounge and set off with our packed breakfast for a birding safari. Lunch will be at the lodge, and in the afternoon we’ll have a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel to see a variety of wildlife, hundreds of hippos, crocodiles, and bird life from a boat for two hours. We look for Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Striated Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Martial Eagle, Kittlitz’s Plover, Senegal Plover, Wattled Lapwing, and kingfishers and larks, among many others, during our day, and look out for mammals like Uganda kob, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, African buffalo, African elephant, warthog, and, if we’re lucky, a Leopard among other carnivores like Lion and Spotted Hyaena. A very special find indeed would be the uncommon and shy Giant Forest Hog, a Queen Elizabeth National Park mammalian specialty. Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 12. Transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast we drive to Kibale National Park and the Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse. We drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, cross the Equator, and along the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains through Kasese, birding en-route and planning to arrive in time for a hot cup of tea and hopefully some new trip birds! Overnight: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale National Park.

Day 13. Kibale National Park

Today we bird Kibale National Park and do chimpanzee trekking! After breakfast, we bird the vicinity of Kanyanchu, looking for the spectacular Green-breasted Pitta and other species such as Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Sabine’s Spinetail, Chestnut Wattle-eye, and Narrow-tailed Starling, among others. Then we look for Chimpanzees nearby. We may actually also encounter a number of other primates here in addition to chimpanzees; Uganda Red Colobus, Guereza Black-and-white colobus, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed Monkey, and L’Hoest’s Monkey all occur in this park. What a day! Overnight: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale National Park.

Day 14. Transfer to Entebbe and departure

We’ll drive back to Entebbe, planning to get there in the afternoon, for an evening flight home

Optional extension to Budongo Forest and Murchison Falls National Park

Day 14. Transfer to Masindi

After an early breakfast with a packed lunch we will transfer to Masindi, birding on the way We hope to see birds like Western Banded Snake Eagle, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Striped Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Black-billed Barbet, Mocking Cliff Chat, Spotted Palm Thrush, Northern Crombec, Rattling and Foxy Cisticolas, Red-winged Grey Warbler, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, and perhaps even Marsh Widowbird, among others. Overnight: Masindi Hotel, Masindi

After breakfast, and again with a packed lunch, we’ll proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. We’ll start exploring this magnificent park from the top of the falls. After a short walk around the top of the falls, we can walk down a steep path to the river’s edge and see how the waters of the majestic Nile narrow, as they are forced through a rocky cleft only seven meters wide to plunge down 35 meters in a majestic cascade. Birds we might encounter are several raptors, Rock Pratincole, Crested Francolin, White-crested Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Narina Trogon, Red-throated Bee-eater, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Silverbird, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, and a number of waxbills, finches, sunbirds, and canaries, among others. Overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park

Day 17. Birding Murchison Falls National Park

After an early breakfast we will have a game drive during the morning, getting back to the lodge in time for lunch. After lunch we will enjoy a boat trip on the river Nile up to the bottom of the falls, during which it is possible to view hundreds of hippos and crocodiles as well as a large variety of bird life. Today we hope to find birds like Northern Ground Hornbill, Black-headed Lapwing, Rock Pratincole, Swallow-tailed and Red-throated Bee-eaters, Black-billed Barbet, Spotted Palm Thrush, Speckle-fronted Weaver, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, and more. Look out for mammals like the graceful Rothschild giraffe, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Oribi, Defassa Waterbuck, African buffalo, African elephant, Common Warthog, Hippo, and perhaps a Leopard or Lion. It is also possible that we might encounter the uncommon Patas Monkey here.

Please also note that the itinerary might change due to various factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information, road or weather conditions. The itinerary is therefore only a guide and cannot be guaranteed.

On our Uganda birding tour, we often begin birding early in the morning, usually having breakfast before dawn. Days will usually start at first light to catch activity in the morning before the day warms up and activity slows down.

We stay in mostly good quality accommodations, often in excellent birding localities; accommodations range from lodges to guest houses; all are comfortable, pleasant and safe.

Roads are good for the most part, a little rough in some areas. There are boat trips scheduled into the Mabamba Swamp and on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth (and on the Nile on the extension).

Generally, the tour will proceed at a relaxed pace; Walking is mostly moderate, with a few walks on rocky terrain. However, we spend one day on a strenuous walk to Mubwindi Swamp up and down hill to search for African Green Broadbill.

The optional Gorilla trekking in the Bwindi-Impenetrable Forest is challenging and a reasonable level of fitness is required. Please be advised that there is no guarantee of success although the Gorillas are rarely missed. Chimpanzee trekking and looking for Green-breasted Pitta can also involve quite a lot of walking. All are welcome to opt out of activities if not manageable.

In general, we keep to less traveled roads and moderate walking trails. Uganda is a diverse country, and we visit a variety of different habitats. Most days will be warm or hot, dry and sunny; cloudy weather are to be expected and there will likely be rain. At higher elevations temperatures can be cool. Occasionally humidity is an inconvenience. We may rest for a mid-day ‘siesta’ on some days. We lunch at a local restaurant or take a picnic lunch into the field. During leisurely dinners we discuss the day’s activities and review the day’s list of sightings, and make plans for the next day. There will be innumerably splendid photographic opportunities!

Your Adventure Includes

• All meals and bottled water

• All accommodation

• Ground transportation and boat ride

• Guides (including local birding guide)

• All park, conservation and entrance fees

• Boat rides on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth (and the Nile on the extension)